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Dealing With the Time Change

Despite that you may not feel that different after a time change (we just went through one – well, everyone except for Saskatchewan), the numbers don’t lie. More accidents happen directly after a time change than on any other day of the year. That’s pretty scary.

I don’t know about you, but if I really pay attention, I am so tired after the time change. Not only do I get less sleep because I am not tired at my normal time I go to bed, but I am also a creature of habit and routine and when my routine is thrown off my entire rhythm is also thrown off.

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I’ve learned a few things about dealing with a time change recently that I think are good lessons:

Ease Into The Time Change

A time change is rarely a surprise for us; we know it’s coming, it arrives each year, and our employers usually give us ample reminders. It’s nothing new.

That being said, so many people act like there was nothing they could do to prepare, which isn’t true.

Ease into it by going to bed a bit earlier before the time change, getting up a bit earlier. That way you won’t be shocked when your body needs to do this on a Sunday before work and you get no sleep.

Enjoy the Daylight Hours

There are pros and cons to having more light in the evening rather than in the morning, but regardless of your preference, it’s good to deal with the time change simply by getting out and enjoying the day light hours.

While it can be quite the shock to all of a sudden leap forward an hour, Vitamin D helps our hormones and brains adjust.

Small Snacks

My eating schedule gets all out of whack during the time change. It makes sense, because your whole day is thrown off. The way I deal with this (as this also has a lot to do with how much sleep I get – blood sugars and all) is by having small snacks here and there if I get hungry. I usually try to stick with nutritious fruits and vegetables. It takes me a bit to ease into a new eating schedule.

The time change really does impact a lot of areas of our lives. These are just a few helpful tips to help you ease into it in a smooth transition.

I really don’t have that much difficulty adjusting to the time change. The only thing I do differently is the night I set my clocks forward, I go to bed a little earlier to off-set that hour of lost sleep. Other than that, I’m good to go by day two or three.

Thanks for the interesting article!
I did hear that the Monday after the time change records the most accidents on average in the US.
It also throws me off in the morning when I get up, because it is very dark outside.